Posted by
Michael Benedict on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 4:52:55 AM
When Barack Obama attacks Joe the Plumber, he attacks us all. From the firefighter, the police officer, to the grocery clerk. Every one of us should be keeping a hope for the American Dream, and if you work hard it is very much alive. Sacrifice is one of the first ingredients of the American Dream, and no self made business man that has stayed on top has gotten there without it. Barack's socialistic policies would cause great damage to the American Dream, discouraging Americans from succeeding, or putting a cap on their dreams. Joe Biden says there is a "systematic problem" and I am afraid he is right. This problem is not the problem he speaks of though, which is Capitalism, that built this countries foundation for the last 220 years. The systematic problem is us, the businesses and the people. We have forgotten the ingredient of "sacrifice". Our Great Grandparents did not buy things they could not afford, they sacrificed and went without, until they could pay for those things. This is one of the simple concepts we must go back to. We are all Joe the Plumber's just at different stages. The kid graduating from high school is the young Joe the Plumber. Full of ambition, and starting out life debt free! There is no law that says he has to get credit cards and accumulate car payments he can't afford! He needs to save, and sacrifice. Dave Ramsey of AM radio says "Live like no one else today, so you can live like no one else tommorrow". This is so true! I have started to sacrifice and live within my means the past year and have never been happier! I am also on the path to success financially and will be set up to invest soon debt free.
Sometimes we need a Joe the Plumber to wake us up and remember how great our country, and our system is. Socialistic ideas like bailing out banks and Government handouts is a slippery slope. Welfare was supposed to be a hand up, not a hand out. It was designed to help out a country and its people during a deep depression. Today, welfare has been part of the problem, extended past its means it has created a generation of entitlement focused people. Instead of what people can do for themselves or others, many have been lowered to the thinking of a 5 year old on christmas, what can I get for me.
So when you go out to your job next week think of Joe the Plumber, and think of his next stage, which could be Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet. Perhaps he is more the Mark Cuban type, the Maverick, who uses his intelligence to pick the right spot at the right time. Even Donald Trump has faced his moments of great sacrifice to get where he is today. Rush Limbaugh at one time lived off of vending machines in his college that took Visa. Dave Ramsey built his way back up from the ground floor after losing everything. All of these men knew something about sacrifice. Meg Whitman, the former CEO of Ebay, sacrificed and fought for an idea that seemed obscure just 15 years ago. Today, over a million people can be found selling at any given time and many of them make full time incomes on the sight. Sacrifice and you will prosper. A fine wine does not mature over night, and quick success will be quickly lost.
Michael Benedict
Uncompromised Conservatism